The 29th edition of the Ouagadougou Pan-African Film and Television Festival (FESPACO) concluded on Saturday, March 1, with “Katanga, Dance of the Scorpions” of Burkina Faso director Dani Kouyaté winning the festival’s top prize, the Golden Stallion of Yennenga. The award was presented by Burkinabe President Ibrahim Traoré and marked a significant moment for West African cinema.
The film, which won several special awards during the festival, won first place in the feature fiction category, earning a cash prize of 20 million FCFA. Produced on a budget of more than 400 million FCFA and shot entirely in Burkina Faso, the film takes inspiration from Macbeth and recreates Shakespeare’s political tragedy.
Set in a kingdom where betrayal and ambition shape destiny, the story follows King Pazouknaam, who entrusts his cousin Katanga with command of the army after thwarting a coup. However, Katanga ultimately betrays and kills the king, seizing power and descending into tyranny to maintain his rule.
Reflecting on the film’s deeper themes, Dani Kouyaté highlighted the role of cinema in encouraging social thought. “My role as an artist is to raise questions, highlight problems and invite the audience to think with me to find solutions,” he told during a festival screening.
Burkinabé cinema’s dominance at FESPACO 2025 was evident, with national productions excelling in both the main categories and special awards. In addition to Yennenga, Katanga’s Golden Stallion, Dance of the Scorpions also won the FDCT Special Prize, the UEMOA Special Prize for Feature Fiction, the Sembène Ousmane Award from the Ecobank Foundation and the Paulin Soumanou Vieyra African Critics’ Award.
This year’s FESPACO distributed 178 million FCFA in official and special awards with a total of 625 screenings across 12 venues over eight days. Chad was the guest of honour, with President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno attending the opening ceremony, while Prime Minister Allah Maye Halina was present at the closing event.
The festival reaffirmed its reputation as a world-class platform for African cinema by celebrating the richness and diversity of storytelling across the continent. The 30th edition of FESPACO is scheduled to run from 27 February to 6 March 2027.